Reno Helper

Creating S.M.A.R.T Goals

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:16:48 +0000

Before attempting to create your goals, you should have first followed step one in The 5-step plan for successful business management, and written a mission statement. By knowing what your purpose is, you can then progress to setting-up goals that will help you achieve your mission.

Here is where the S.M.A.R.T Goals acronym comes in. I love acronyms; they are such great memory aids!

S. Specifc. You must be specfic when writing goals. This includes the “who, what, where, when, and why”. In the example, “I want to be rich, it is way too vauge. You will not likeley accomplish anything, becuase goals are suposed to be a roadmap for your sucess. What map have you seen that says I want to get to Point A with out giving you specific directions to get there? Without sepcifics it is just a passing thought or a pipedream.

M. Measurable. Now that your goals are targeted and specific, you also need to make them measureable. When you have a method to measure your progress, you are much more likely to stay on the right track and reach your target. Only then can you experience the delight and satisfaction of actually accomplished your goal (what you set out to do).

A. Achievable. Be careful to neither set the bar to low nor two high, but make sure it is within your power to achieve. If you set the bar too low, and your goal is achieved too easily, you will often be left feeling dissatisfied without a true sense of accomplishment. However, goals you set which are too far out of your reach, will also leave you feeling dissatisfied if not, overwhelmed and they are setting the stage for failure. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

R. Relevant. In order to maintain your focus, you must choose goals that are relevant to your purpose or mission. If start out by writing a mission statement as you should have, you can begin to see ways to achieve your mission, and therefore set goals as milestones. But if your goals are not in harmony with your mission, then you are not any closer to achieving your stated purpose.

T. Time-bound. Always include a timeframe when creating goals. This forces you to be accountable for the management of your time and well as having something to look forward to - completion! Don’t just expect your goals to magically just happen “someday”. With no timeframe attached to it, there is not sense of urgency. Start planning NOW with a clear picture of when they will become a reality.

This post is authored by Melissa Wadsworth, Productivity Specialist and CEO of Reno Helper. Reno Helper is the provider of executive support services, real estate agent (realtor) support, and virtual assistant services. You may use all or part of this post as long as you give credit to the author, and link back to both the website and the individual post.

How to Create a Successful Business Management Plan

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:49:49 +0000

Maximizing your productivity involves many things. It all begins with a plan, and is then followed up by organization, prioritizing, time management, commitment and flexibility. You need to create a system that works for you. If it is not personalized to reflect who you are and how you do things, then you are not likely to stick with it. Now, let’s begin on our road to productivity, shall we?

How do you begin?

Everyone is different, and for me, I work best when things are streamlined and simple, I don’t like to overcomplicate things (who does?). To begin organizing your time, your life, and your business, I like to follow this simple 5-step plan. I must give credit to the book “How to Get Organized When You Dont Have the Time”, by professional organizer and author Stephanie Culp. If you get a chance to read this book, I highly recommend it, as this article will barely skim the surface of the great tips and advise that Stephanie Culp has to offer. I would also like to mention that the book focus on managing and organizing you personal life, but these are universal principals that can be applied to your professional life as well.

The 5-Step Plan for Successful Business Management:

  Writing a Mission Statement

  Mapping out your Goals

  Identifying tasks (to do’s or unfinished business)

  Creating Projects and Prioritizing Tasks

  Scheduling – Your plan of attack!

In the upcoming weeks I will write individual posts with more detailed information explaining how to use and implement this simple 5-step plan. Stay tuned!

This post is authored by Melissa Wadsworth, Productivity Specialist and CEO of Reno Helper. Reno Helper is the provider of executive support services, real estate agent (realtor) support, and virtual assistant services. You may use all or part of this post as long as you give credit to the author, and link back to both the website and the individual post.

Should I hire a Virtual Assistant?

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:57:58 +0000

The first question you should ask yourself is “How can I spend my time and energies on what is most important to me?” When you set goals and focus on achieving them, then the next step is to prioritize and minimize the less important things.

Or DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE! If you want to focus on your strengths (or your top priorities), then you need to delegate your weakness (or less important tasks).

Here are 10 reasons why you need an Assistant:

You’ve missed out on opportunities because you forgot or haven’t followed up.
You spend huge amounts of time trying to locate information & documents that your CPA needs to file your taxes (no bookkeeping system).
You can never seem to remember where you put your clients contact information (no database).
You often work extra hours just to try to stay on top of routine administrative tasks.
You often miss deadlines or important events because you don’t have a centralized calender or reminder system.
You have lots of great ideas for you business, but no time to carry them out.
You’ve been procrastinating about tasks on your to-do list for several weeks-or longer
You haven’t focused your time & energy on securing that “big client” because you’re too overwhelmed just handling the day to day activities of running your business.
You’ve thought about taking your business to the next level- if you only had the time.
You haven’t updated your website in over a year, or worse, you still don’t have one.

Okay, so now you are convinced that you do need help. What now? The next question you should ask yourself is “Should I hire an employee or outsource my administrative work, and hire an independent contractor?”

Consider these benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant verses a traditional on-site employee:

An Executive Support Professional (a.k.a Virtual Assistant) is also a business owner, and they have a unique perspective of what your needs as a business owner are.
You don’t have to make a full-time commitment to start out. You could start out part-time, and outsource a few hours a week, until you are more comfortable delegating tasks. When you have become more productive, and start to generate more business you could then increase the amount of time and the amount of work that you outsource.
You don’t’ have to buy and extra office equipment, software, computers, or make room for another person in your office.
You don’t have to pay any payroll taxes, or provide worker’s compensation insurance
You don’t pay any benefits, such as medical insurance, sick leave, or vacation time.
You don’t have to worry about your employee coming in late or calling in sick, or worse, using company time for their personal business! We work from our own home office and can assist you right now, and after hours.

You have decided that you do need administrative help, and you have decided that outsourcing and hiring an independent contractor is your best option. The next question to ask yourself is “Who should I hire for the job?” The answer: Reno Helper of course!

This post is authored by Melissa Wadsworth, Productivity Specialist and CEO of Reno Helper. Reno Helper is the provider of executive support services, real estate agent (realtor) support, and virtual assistant services. You may use all or part of this post as long as you give credit to the author, and link back to both the website and the individual post.

Incorporate in Nevada

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:56:48 +0000

As a Nevada company, Reno Helper now offers incorporation services in the state of Nevada. Form an LLC or Corporation. Services to include the following:

Articles of Incorporation
State Filing Fees
Foreign LLC Filing Fees
Certified Document Prep. Fees
Nevada Registered Agent Service
Federal Tax Identification Number
Set-up of Corporate Record Book & Corporate Minutes

We also offer a “Nevada Business Presence” with the following services:

Physical/Mailing Address (in Reno, NV)
Local Phone Number with Voice Mail
Set-up a Nevada Bank Account
State Business License
Mail Forwarding

Prices start at $299.00 and go up from there (depending on services ordered). Please contact us for a free service quote.

Why Incorporate in Nevada?

No Corporate Income Tax
No Taxes on Corporate Shares
No Franchise Tax
No Personal Income Tax
Nominal Annual Fees
Nevada corporations may purchase, hold, sell or transfer shares of its own stock.
Nevada corporations may issue stock for capital, services, personal property, or real estate, including leases and options. The directors may determine the value of any of these transactions, and their decision is final.
No Franchise Tax on Income
No Inheritance or Gift Tax
No Unitary Tax
No Estate Tax
Competitive Sales and Property Tax Rates
Minimal Employer Payroll Tax - 0.7% of gross wages with deductions for employer paid health insurance
Nevada’s Business Court
- Developed on the Delaware model, the Business Court in Nevada minimizes the time, cost and risks of commercial litigation by:
  - Early, comprehensive case management
  - Active judicial participation in settlement
  - Priority for hearing settings to avoid business disruption
  - Predictability of legal decisions in commercial matters

DISCLAIMER: Reno Helper does not offer legal advise and is not licensed in the practice of law or tax planning. Please consult a tax and/or legal professional for tax planning & asset protection and planning.

This post is authored by Melissa Wadsworth, Productivity Specialist and CEO of Reno Helper. Reno Helper is the provider of executive support services, real estate agent (realtor) support, and virtual assistant services. You may use all or part of this post as long as you give credit to the author, and link back to both the website and the individual post.